Quezi

I love pancakes - courtesy R Stanek - CC-BY

While it is true, the pancake is more common in the Western World, and considered an art form by many in the United States, pancakes can be found on griddles in Indonesia, Syria, Egypt, France and China.  Actually, just name a country and some version will be there.

Pancakes are one of the original convenience foods and a ‘comfort food’ globally. Pancake batter calls for cheap and easy to find ingredients, milk, flour, butter or oil, eggs, and even just flour and water in some regions.  Pancakes evolved from the ancient flatbreads whose origins are lost in the mists of time.

The pancake can be made in countless versions, as food wrappers or the main event.  They are great for breakfast or dinner, can be street food or a luxury dessert.

There are very few things in life that deliver so much from so little. They have survived all the various dining revolutions, from France’s haute cuisine to the American low-carb fad.

The European settlers brought their various pancakes recipes to American shores.  In a very short time Americans claimed them as their own, flipping johnnycakes, flannel cakes and flapjacks for the breakfasts needed to build a nation.

Pancakes are also associated with Shrove Tuesday, the last day before Lent.  Stacks of pancakes are eaten to use up the butter and eggs forbidden during Lent.

Every year, locals in Springfield, Massachusetts, man the griddle for the World’s Largest Pancake Breakfast. In 2002 they served nearly 76,000 stacks.

And after I finished those, there was nothing left for anybody else.